A Turn for the Better

Snow Ice Empress thought for a moment and said, "What if I refuse? To be honest, I don't want to take part in your so-called God Creation Plan. It's true that humans have talent, but their lifespans are also far too short..."

"Rather than pinning the vague hope of becoming a god on some human, I would rather rely on myself. I still have a full ten thousand years before I face the Heavenly Tribulation. Why can't I make a breakthrough within those ten thousand years?"

What Huo Yuhao and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm feared most was Snow Ice Empress having something to rely on. Only a Snow Ice Empress with no way out would agree to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's proposal.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm thought for a moment, then threatened, "You're trapped by me right now. If you refuse, I'll forcibly turn you into Yuhao's Soul Ring. Then not only will you become Yuhao's Soul Ring, but you won't be able to retain your intelligence. Wouldn't it be better to become Yuhao's Wisdom Soul Ring, like me?"

At those words, an aura of furious rage erupted from Snow Ice Empress. She stared coldly at Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and said, "Are you threatening me? If you want to kill me, then we'll all die together!"

"This piece of junk of yours can indeed restrain me, and it might even have some chance of killing me. But do you think I'll just let you slaughter me? If I can't live, then at worst I'll self-destruct. When that happens, none of us will survive!"

"You want to turn me into a Soul Ring? Keep dreaming!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm could not help scratching his head. He then looked at Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, do you have anything else to say?"

The Snow Ice Empress of ten thousand years later had mellowed out somewhat because the Heavenly Tribulation was drawing near.

But the current Snow Ice Empress had an explosive temper. She would rather see both sides suffer than agree to become Huo Yuhao's Wisdom Soul Ring.

Huo Yuhao said helplessly, "What else can I say? Brother Sky Dream, you've already said it all..."

After a pause, Huo Yuhao looked at Snow Ice Empress and said sincerely, "Snow Ice Empress, sorry for disturbing you. Once we leave the Extreme North, we'll let you go. You don't need to worry."

"Me, worried?" Snow Ice Empress stubbornly retorted. "I'm not worried at all..."

Hearing that, Huo Yuhao said nothing more. He took a few bites of the cold, hard rations, scooped up some snow, and ate it.

At last, he recovered a bit of strength.

Then Huo Yuhao got to his feet. Just as he was about to continue onward and leave the Extreme North, he suddenly discovered that someone had appeared before him.

A woman.

Her long, snow-white hair hung down her back all the way to her feet. Her sky-blue eyes were ethereal and crystalline, as though they could see through everything in the world. Her slender, graceful figure was flawless. Though her white gown lacked even the slightest ornamentation, it made her seem so pure and peerless. Immaculate and meticulous, she was like a cold plum blossom amid winter snow—standing apart from the rest, proud against frost and snow.

The moment Huo Yuhao saw the woman, his pupils abruptly contracted, and his heart nearly stopped beating from fright.

"Snow... Snow... Snow... Empress..." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was so terrified that he could barely speak properly.

Snow Empress merely stared straight at Huo Yuhao. She made no movement and did not say a word.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm let out a deep sigh. "Yuhao, I've doomed you. We're finished this time..."

"Even if my Molted Shell weren't being used to trap Snow Ice Empress right now, it still couldn't trap Snow Empress. Snow Empress is a powerful soul beast with seven hundred thousand years of cultivation..."

The instant Snow Ice Empress saw Snow Empress, she exclaimed in delight, "Xue'er, hurry and kill this human! Get me out of here!"

Snow Empress first glanced at Snow Ice Empress inside Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Molted Shell, then looked at Huo Yuhao. "Release Bing'er first."

Huo Yuhao coughed lightly and asked, "Then can we..."

"No." Snow Empress shook her head. "Release Bing'er first."

Left with no choice, Huo Yuhao looked toward Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm looked even more helpless and shrugged at Huo Yuhao, indicating that there was nothing he could do either.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm then lifted the restraints and released Snow Ice Empress.

Once Snow Ice Empress was freed, an uncontrollable, violent aura radiated from her entire body. Huo Yuhao was merely a level-twenty soul master. Under such terrifying pressure, he was like a blade of grass in a storm, trembling pitifully.

Snow Ice Empress glared at Sky Dream Ice Silkworm furiously. "Tian Meng, you dared to trap me? I'm going to kill you!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm gave an awkward laugh. "Snow Ice Empress, don't be impulsive. Didn't we ultimately decide not to do anything to you?"

But Snow Ice Empress did not listen to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's explanation at all. Her six long legs tensed slightly as she prepared to pounce.

Snow Empress raised a hand, stopping Snow Ice Empress. She first turned to glance at Huo Yuhao and smiled faintly, then said softly to Snow Ice Empress, "Bing'er, agree to them."

"W-what?"

Snow Ice Empress stared at Snow Empress in shock. Even her attack motion unconsciously halted as she said in disbelief, "Xue'er, you want me to agree to them and become this human's Soul Ring?"

Snow Empress said gently, "You were meant to become Yuhao's Wisdom Soul Ring. It will be good for both you and him. Yuhao can become a god in the future, and you can use that opportunity to ascend to the God Realm."

As soon as those words were spoken, not only was Snow Ice Empress dumbfounded, but Huo Yuhao and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm were equally shocked, disbelief written all over their faces.

"Good heavens, Snow Ice Empress didn't travel through time, but Snow Empress did?"

Huo Yuhao and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm exchanged a look, and joy immediately filled their hearts!

Things had truly taken a turn for the better!

Huo Yuhao had originally thought that if he failed to persuade Snow Ice Empress during this trip to the Extreme North, then the journey would have been a failure.

Yet he had never expected Snow Empress to possess memories from ten thousand years later. Like Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, her soul had traveled through time!

In that case, not only could Snow Ice Empress become Huo Yuhao's Wisdom Soul Ring, but Snow Empress would also agree to become Huo Yuhao's Soul Spirit!

Huo Yuhao had never even considered Snow Empress before, because she was simply too powerful. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was no match for her at all.

Huo Yuhao would already have been completely satisfied if Snow Ice Empress could become his second Wisdom Soul Ring.

He had never expected such a surprise to arrive so suddenly. Snow Empress's soul had also traveled back ten thousand years!

Snow Empress turned to Huo Yuhao, smiled slightly, and said, "Yuhao, I originally thought I would have to wait at least another ten thousand years before I could meet you. I never expected you to travel through time as well..."

"Not long ago, when I sensed Tian Meng's aura, I thought that fellow had gone mad and was rushing off to reincarnate. When I came over to take a look, I found that you, Little One, had arrived. That was rather unexpected..."

"But this is good too. You can become a god ten thousand years earlier. There are many God Seats available to inherit now—there are even God King Seats..."

"Yuhao, there's no need to say more. I'll help you persuade Bing'er... It's just a pity that Bing'er is still the Bing'er from ten thousand years ago. She doesn't have the memories from ten thousand years later..."

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and finally relaxed completely. Though he was in the Extreme North, surrounded by ice and snow, he suddenly felt as if he had come home...

"Thank you, Snow Empress," Huo Yuhao said gratefully.

The Ice Empress looked at the two of them in confusion. From the conversation between the Snow Empress and Huo Yuhao, she could tell that something was off. It seemed Xue'er and this human shared a special set of memories—memories she did not possess.

Looking at the baffled Ice Empress, the Snow Empress explained, "Bing'er, Yuhao and I both traveled here from ten thousand years in the future. Ten thousand years later, your Heavenly Tribulation was about to descend, and you had no confidence in surviving it. It just so happened that the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm brought Yuhao to find you..."

The Snow Empress briefly recounted what had happened between the Ice Empress and Huo Yuhao in their previous life.

The Ice Empress suddenly understood. "No wonder that bastard Tianmeng had been so certain he could succeed. So we already succeeded once ten thousand years later..."

The Snow Empress said, "So, Bing'er, you don't need to resist. This is a good thing for you. You can become Yuhao's martial soul and Wisdom Soul Ring, while I become Yuhao's Soul Spirit. That way, we can both retain our consciousness and ascend to the God Realm."

The Ice Empress pondered for a moment. There was no reason for the Snow Empress to deceive her, and the Snow Empress would never lie to her for the sake of a human.

Therefore, what the Snow Empress said had to be true.

The Ice Empress then looked at Huo Yuhao. "Little One, I don't know how your frail body managed to become a god, but since Xue'er says you can become one, I'll believe it for now..."

"If you want me to become your martial soul and Wisdom Soul Ring, you'll have to endure an extremely painful trial. The pain will be no less than having your marrow drawn and your bones ripped apart. You..."

At that point, the Ice Empress suddenly laughed. "I almost forgot. Since you already successfully became a god in your previous life, that means you must have endured that painful trial. I was being needlessly talkative..."

After a pause, the Ice Empress continued, "Recover first. Once you're back in your best condition, I'll begin."

"Wait a moment..." the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm interjected. "Snow Empress, your ice attribute is even stronger than the Ice Empress's Extreme Ice. How about you become Yuhao's martial soul and Wisdom Soul Ring, while the Ice Empress becomes his Soul Spirit instead? What do you think?"

The Snow Empress and Huo Yuhao both fell into thought. It was indeed a good idea, except...

The Snow Empress gently shook her head. "Tianmeng, don't get carried away. For Yuhao's martial soul, higher cultivation isn't necessarily better. Extreme Ice is already the most terrifying ultimate attribute in the world. My ice attribute is stronger than Bing'er's, but only by a limited amount..."

"If I became Yuhao's martial soul, his ice attribute would indeed become stronger. But that wouldn't give Yuhao more well-rounded development. Besides granting Yuhao Extreme Ice, Bing'er can also give him immense strength. That is something I cannot do..."

"For a soul master, the body is equally important. The immense strength Bing'er grants Yuhao can make his body no weaker than that of a battle soul master. Compared to that, the slight difference in ice attribute isn't so important..."

The Ice Empress nodded. "Xue'er is right. Besides the Extreme Ice attribute, I also possess a strength attribute that cannot be ignored."

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm smiled awkwardly. "Snow Empress, your analysis is right. I was too excited just now and didn't think it through. For Yuhao, the Ice Empress's martial soul truly suits him better. With you as his Soul Spirit to strengthen his ice attribute, it's an even better match."

Listening to the three of them discuss it, Huo Yuhao felt a warm sense of comfort.

In his previous life, it had been the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, the Ice Empress, and the Snow Empress who had always protected him, nurturing him from a pitifully weak little soul master into a powerful god.

Of course, there was also Elder Yi... It's just that Elder Yi has fallen asleep to recover his memories. Unless my life is in danger, Elder Yi won't awaken...

Huo Yuhao thought to himself.